1) Ordered item during BF sale. Selected USPS First Class insured shipping method, in keeping with urgency and cost considerations.

2) Item ships following week; USPS tracking is hazy, and jumped straight from label creation to arrival at local PO.

3) Tracking shows item was delivered at 10:30am Friday.

The problem with that is that I was home at that time, and there was no mail delivery during that time period. My carrier usually delivers my mail in the afternoon anyway, and there was no such package in that day's mail.

4) I notify the vendor, who advises me to wait until the following Monday (yesterday), and to contact them if the package has not arrived.

5) No package delivered on Saturday, Monday's (or today's) mail. I notify vendor as directed, via email.

6) Today, having received no response, I contact vendor, who informs me they'll have to initiate a trace.

7) Later in the day, I am contacted by a different representative, who already having the case number, then asks for the Invoice number, and then in a subsequent request, the shipping address (which was the confirmed PayPal address I used to make payment).

Don't case numbers and order numbers usually include such basic information? Or am I assuming too much?

8) I am now given the option, per their policy, of having them initiate a trace (which I suppose the other rep didn't do), and waiting 1-3 days for results.

Or...agree to a policy where they will create a new order, and ship a replacement using a trackable method of their choice. But with the caveat that if the original package does show up, I am responsible for returning it, or paying the additional cost.

I am almost certain that the USPS mis-delivered the original package, it is lost, and will not magically appear in my mailbox in the near, or distant future.

I can afford to wait for the trace process to transpire, but at the same time, I would have thought that it would have been already initiated when I first contacted them.

And, as much as I dislike some of Amazon's practices, something like this would have been taken care of in a five minute chat/call, and already off my plate.

Not every business can afford to do that, but that's what they're competing against, and illustrates how smaller business aren't necessarily better at customer service.

What would you do?

I would call USPS.

USPS is a pretty pathetic example of Government efficiency. Once had a First Class shipment from Denver to Dallas take almost 2 weeks although their tracking showed it had been delivered. For grins I did a little historical research and discovered the old Pony Express had a track record of being able to deliver mail halfway across the country on horseback in half the time the "modern" USPS took to get my item from Denver to Dallas.

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cbelt3
I would call USPS.

And be prepared to be amazed. When a package wasn't delivered a supervisor they told me, " if the system says it was delivered, it was delivered." This was in a gated community with a guard and patrolled hourly by a guard in a car. (Semi retired/second home community). I was out $40 in Movies. Non Amazon non insured purchase.

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cbelt3
I would call USPS.

Calling USPS would be a total waste of time. They are dysfunctional.

I would do the trace and wait. If the other one shows up, I'd refuse delivery which will send it back to the seller at no cost to you. If it just appears on the doorstep, I'd write "refused delivery" on the package, not open it up, and drop it off at the post office.. If I don't get the new one in a timely basis, I'd do a chargeback with my credit card.

I going through similar with two orders - in both cases only half the order arrived.

The small company asked that I give the package a few days so as too save issues for them. They were nice and understanding, it wasn't anything urgent or costly, so I agreed.

The other was from Dell. Their online tracking shows the object delivered. I contacted them and they said it was still in processing and I'd receive notice when it shipped. I did the contact through online chat and saved the conversation. I'll be contacting them again if it is not here by Monday. Getting two different answers (tracking vs customer rep) does not give me confidence.

And your right, Amazon has customer service done right.

---

“No persons are more frequently wrong, than those who will not admit they are wrong.”
-- François de La Rochefoucauld

Growing older is mandatory. Growing up is optional.

In my dealings with missing packages, I've been told by carriers that since I'm not their "customer," they could do nothing for me, and that the sender/vendor would have to file any claim. That is how I've approached this situation and why I will not pursue this with the USPS (in addition to the abysmal hold times).

I believe it was fair to wait a few days and be certain that the package did not arrive, but from that point forward, the lax attitude is what I find disappointing.

The personnel I have been in contact with seem to have no desire to actually acknowledge the circumstances of the situation and apply them to a resolution, aside from a rote, procedural response in keeping with policy, but no more.

That such policy in effect shifts the risk of conducting business to the customer does not engender a positive impression.

I expect that kind of service from large companies, but not small businesses, and especially not from this one in particular.

Given the nature of the item, I don't think this hassle is worth it, for either of us. I'm certainly glad that it wasn't something of high value or required support, now or in the future.

This has been a litmus test of whether I will shop there again in the future, and all signs are pointing to no.

if the vendor won't fix the issue after a reasonable time, initiate a chargeback with the CC company. This is totally within your rights to do as a cardholder.

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Bimwad
8) I am now given the option, per their policy, of having them initiate a trace (which I suppose the other rep didn't do), and waiting 1-3 days for results.

A "trace" sounds made up. I call BS.

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Bimwad
Or...agree to a policy where they will create a new order, and ship a replacement using a trackable method of their choice. But with the caveat that if the original package does show up, I am responsible for returning it, or paying the additional cost.

Go with this. If it shows up, just don't tell them. What proof would they have? It already shows delivered.


That said, I've heard it's standard practice this season for USPS to just claim anything they want as delivered, especially if someone is substituting routes. It could be delivered in a few days. Or just tossed aside.

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fmgtech

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cbelt3
I would call USPS.

Calling USPS would be a total waste of time. They are dysfunctional.

Absolutely true. A total waste of time. Even if they had it "located" in one of their facilities, they have no mechanism in place to handle it properly ....

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The Grim Ninja
A "trace" sounds made up. I call BS.

True dat....

Can you use two of them if the original shipment shows up?....

Gidda rope.

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It is what it is.

I can afford to wait for their attempt to "trace" the item, and I'm sure most here would grant this vendor that leeway, given the goodwill they've built up.

It wouldn't hurt to have a duplicate, and as noted, they'd never know the difference.

But, I'm not out to screw anyone, I just want the item I purchased, and not have to deal with the hassle of trying to rectify the situation over such a small thing.

Some retailers would have just sent out a replacement immediately, and chalked the original up as a sunk cost.

I've already have had enough dealing with the insurance company for my recent accident, and that ordeal is pretty much guaranteed to drag on into the new year.

Mostly, I'm just disappointed and how things have been handled, how their policies makes me the "bad guy" and a complete lack of critical thinking toward resolving the situation and making a customer happy.

Those of you who read between the lines will know who this retailer is.